I Hate to Say I Love You So
by wolfwriterGingey
Summary: Colonello and Lal Mirch meet again as the Millefiore hunt down the Arcobaleno. When they last met they'd said some hurtful things, so who's bitter about what and how are they going to fix it? ColoLal Oneshot, Kora! Bad Summary. Reborn's a matchmaker?


**AN: First off, I have a habit of writing ANs that can be longer than the actual story.**

**I'll try not to do that this time.**

**Okay, so about two weeks ago I picked up the first two volumes of a little series I'd been considering reading called Reborn! Turned out to be cracky, but reading online(and discovering the FULL TITLE-Katekyo Hitman REBORN!), I found the serious part and fell in love with it. In particular, Hayato Gokudera. But after Dera-kun comes another character.**

**Colonello.**

**I love the little guy. And when I found out he was DEAD I was furious. However, my love for ColoLal was soon born, even in Lal Mirch annoys me at times.**

**Not having much time before camp(after getting BACK from working a week of summer camp, I get to be a camper and ride my horses), I wanetd to do something for the pairing and decided a one shot. I did this in a couple of hours and am writing this AN rushedly so I'm not late. So do excuse any errors or badness, it was a quickie.**

**I originally wanted to do stuff with him flirting with her during his NAvy days, btu I didn't feel I knew enough about the Navy for that, so I changed it to the future, when the Arcobaleno were being hunted by the Millefiore, even though I dislike the future arc so far. This was originally going to be a lot different, but I like how it turned out. They act semi OOC, and I'm kind of going off of what opinions I've formed reading stuff about them. They seemed to be kind of love-hatey, which is sad because what if they never settled that before he died? Well, it's more like he openly flirts with her, she's all embaressed, pretends to hate him and flips, and he pretends he was kidding about liking her. D'aww D So with them being stubborn and stuff I present this crappy quick oneshot. Maybe it'll amuse you. I was so pissed when I found out there were only THREE ColoLal 'fics here.**

**I might go back and fix some stuff when I get back from camp, I gotta go!**

**MENTAL NOTE: Must write ColoLal songfic to that song Cosmo and Wanda sing in the musical while in jail. It was stuck in my head while writing this.**

**DO NOT ASK!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to own KHR, though I do want to. **

**You would know very easily if I did own KHR, therefor this is practically useless. Because if I owned KHR, Gokudera would confess his love for Tsuna, Mukuro would make suggestive comments about Gokudera(CRACKSHIP!) and Gokudera would be shirtless and bandaged more often -drools-**

**Oh, and more ColoLal, most def.**

**Another thing is, the last time I checked my name is not, never has been(though I cannot say never will be, since I am not a seer) Akira Amano-more proof my lack of ownership of any of this. **

**Except the writing. That's mine.**

**Without further ado, the story. **

" Like it or not, if we Arcobaleno are to survive, we must put aside all our past fights and differences to band together. We may be strong, but so is the enemy."

That's what Reborn had said. Skull was already dead. Verde had chosen to hide on his own. Reborn had managed to gather Colonello, Viper, and Lal Mirch together, however. Sitting together in the woods, they were attempting to just lay low and keep out of the way of the Millefiore until they could think of a better plan. Reborn was frustrated, they could tell, but was handling it much better than Colonello was. He was sitting on a log muttering and swearing. Lal was actually quite suprised that was _all _he was doing. Her heart was pounding as she gazed at him. And then he looked up. The frustration and anger on his face momentarily left him with a sad, distant look as he stared in her direction. Lal's face began to feel hot, and with a jolt of realization Colonello's face turned slightly pink as his fixed his gaze once more on his feet.

Lal knew that would only be the begining of the awkwardness.

They split up tasks. Colonello was in charge of collecting food, Reborn was scouting, Viper was watching today's little "camp"(they moved around a lot), and Lal was looking for some firewood. They weren't going to leave a fire going for very long, for it could reveal their location, however if Colonello brought back any meat they'd need to cook it.

As Lal trudged through the forest absent-mindedly, she was constantly tripping and running into things. It was clear her mind was on other things than the in her mind menial task at hand. In the distance she heard a gun-shot and with a jump became fully alert. _Are they attacking us? No, they couldn't be...nowadays they're relying on that new research of Verde and his comrade's...and unless we can attain some of it and master it, we're done for...however, if they haven't gotten their hands on enough boxes yet, I suppose lowly members might still use regular weapons...why am I sitting here assessing it and just _thinking _about it?! I should be _doing _something! _And with that Lal sprinted towards the source of the noise, hearing more and more shots being fired.

When she got to where the sound seemed to be coming from, she found herself at a stream, and the first thing she noticed was Colonello, aiming at _something. _Bang! he fired another shot into the water. Lal's eyes frantically searched the water. She couldn't make anything suspicious out...

" Colonello, what are you DOING?!" Lal screamed.

Colonello's eyes widened. _That voice..._he blinked slowly, dropped the gun(which was so large you'd wonder how he'd still be able to use it and still WANT to carry it around in his current state), and turned around. " Lal?" his face had traces of red and he added," I found some fish..."

" So you thought it would be a good idea to SHOOT at them?"

" ..."

" You could've given away our location! What where you thinking?!"

" I..." _was feeling pissy and and confused and decided to take it out on some fish like an idiot. And maybe I was trying to impress her a little,_" It was the only weapon I had. I have to kill them somehow, hey." He tried to redeem himself without admitting to anything.

" Use your head! You'd ruin all the meat putting a bullet hole through one of those shrimpy things...and again, do you WANT us to get caught?"

" No..." he hung his head low, desperate to explain," I guess...with all that's going on...I was being stupid...I _wasn't _really thinking...not about...that..."

"..."

Without any warning, Colonello ran over and hugged Lal. Lal wanted to embrace him, and timidly raised her arms to do so, but instead pushed him off of her, bright red. Colonello immediately turned around so he didn't have to face her.

" I'm sorry," he uttered, staring at the dirt.

"...Come on, I'll help you fish," Lal said," And I thought I trained you better than this..."

" You trained me perfectly, hey" he told her.

" Maybe you were just thick, then..." she said, _or not paying attention to what I was actually saying..._

He shrugged," I always payed perfect attention to anything you told me, hey."

"..." she paused," I...see. So then, shall I?" she walked into the stream, until the water was up to her waist(which wasn't very high, considering they're babies). She reached into the water, lightning-quick, and came back with a struggling fish," There."

Colonello came in next to her," Why not leave it to me? You've a got a job, go ahead and do it. I'll be fine."

" Pfft, if shooting fish is fine, I don't want to know what isn't," she responded.

" But..." he paused," Those years ago, back then...you said 'Who'd ever want to do anything with you?!' So, if you don't want to do anything with me...why...are you?"

She bit her lip," Colonello..." she muttered," I...you're pathetic, if you can't do it, then we all go hungry. I'd prefer you not hinder us."

" So that's how it is, hey. I see. Inferior Colonello's in your way again..."

" You were out of line back then. To say such things to your commanding officer..."

" I suppose I was..." he sighed and told his hawk something silently," He'll fish for us."

After about half an hour of sitting together on the bank in silence, Lal couldn't take it anymore," You're not yourself..." she began weakly, trying not to get too emotional. She'd kept her emotions in check so well until now...

" Maybe I am, hey. People change, you know, when you haven't seen them for years at a time...but, if we'd never seen each other again like I'd predicted, you'd've never even known I had changed...if I have," he told her coldly.

" Are you trying to pull a guilt trip?" she asked him blankly, getting annoyed," Watch it, I could whoop your sorry ass any time."

Colonello smiled," Still a tomboy, then? Looks like you haven't changed...you're still as easy to figure out as ever, too."

" Oh, is that so?" she demanded," Well you're still...still..."

" Still what? The same immature inexperienced moron I was in those days?"

" You know, you're really starting to piss me off."

" Then go. You made it clear that you didn't want anything to do with me."

" You're so infuriating!" she siad, standing up to walk away," I am going to go! Why I wasted my time with a...with...with _you _I don't know!" And with that she trudged off into the woods.

Colonello, standing as he watched her go, sat back down and muttered about how much of an idot he was. As he sat in the mud alone, his hawk flew over and landed on his head, then began "grooming" him, running his beak through his hair, as if to comfort him.

Deep in the forest, Lal Mirch was furiously muttered to herself aswell. Hearing a branch break, she turned around to see what was following her.

" Caoisu," rang the voice of her fellow Arcobaleno.

Reborn.

" Oh...hello, Reborn..." she said, nodding.

" Have you gotten any fire wood?" he asked calmly.

" ...not really...I was...busy."

" Oh? What with?" he asked, interested.

_Stupid! I shouldn't've said that, now I need an explaination!_ " Um..." she began," Nothing."

"...You're in denial, aren't you?"

She blinked," ...huh?"

" You both are. It's what separated you before and it'll separate you again if neither of you is willing to overcome it. You're both embaressed and want the other to admit it first, but if both of you are waiting for the other, you'll wait forever and nothing will ever happen. Do you really want to suffer for being so passive?"

" Reborn..."

" Yes?" he smiled.

" Nothing..." she said.

" Good. Now get to it, you've got a lot to do. And an attitude adjustment would be benificial to you."

She nodded and walked back to the stream.

But Colonello wasn't there.

After searching the area briefly, she sighed and got back to work.

An hour or so later, she went to pick up a large(well, when you Arcobaleno sized, it's large) stick poking out of a bush.

However, it didn't seem to want to be picked up. She pulled harder, and out of the bush fell...

Colonello.

" W...What are you doing?" she asked.

" You told me I was a pathetic burden," he said," So I decided to not only do my job, but help with yours."

" You...didn't have to do that..."

" Oh, that's right, because who would ever want to do anything with me?"

" Colonello..." she said," I...I'm...I regret saying that, I really do."

Colonello was suprised. Usually so easy to read, she'd actually admitted to anything but hatred for him?

" It's just...I...was confused...and angry...and...I..." she hugged him tight, unable to control her emotions any longer, as tears began to fall down her cheeks," My heart has been filled with nothing but regret since that day. And yet...you said...you were kidding...so..."

" I...wasn't kidding," he told her, immediately hugging her back without any hesitation," I wanted you to come with me...and yet...I went because...I didn't want you to have that curse inflicted upon you. I wanted to take your place...those things I said to you back then...I wasn't just being a jerk...I had a reason, hey..."

" You had some nerve, flirting with your commanding officer like that..." she said, choking back tears and smiling sadly. She didn't want this moment to end. And yet she didn't know how long it could last, or what would come after, so she tried to get everything out in that instant, as did he. They were spilling their guts out like any second they would never be able to talk to one another again. She began to cry into his shoulder more," I'm getting you wet, aren't I? Look at me...so pathetic..."

" That's the only part of you that isn't manly, your emotions..." he smiled," I don't mind, hey."

She hugged him tighter," I never stopped thinknig about you."

"...there wasn't a day where I didn't wonder about you, either..." he told her," Lal..."

" Yes?"

" You know that I..._I love you_...even being such a tomboy, I've always loved you."

Lal turned her head to meet his gaze. His cold blue eyes seemed somehow soft, and he was blushing.

" Colonello..." she said, her voice barely audiable," As much as I hated to admit it, as much as I _wanted _to hate you...I never could. I...I missed you more than you can imagine when we were apart. Because I...I...because I love you aswell, Colonello." It was hard to say. She'd never even said so to herself and now she was saying it to _him?! _She'd lost her mind. And she didn't care, as beet-red as she was right now.

Without a word, Colonello stopped hugging her and gently removed himself from her embrace, pulling her arms off of him. She was puzzled, but stayed still as he put his arms on her shoulders and positioned her to face him. No sooner had he done that, he leaned in closer to her, his eyes closed, one hand went to her chin, gently positioning her head for what was to come, and pressed his lips to hers.

Suprised, Lal felt her body go limp. Before she knew it, she contently closed her eyes and began kissing him back, reaching up and placing one hand in his hair.

In a nearby tree, hiding among the leaves, sat Reborn and Leon, the latter having assumed the shape of a leaf on the branch.

" Looks like we accomplished something big today, Leon..." he said, smiling," That's something that doesn't happen everyday."

--

That night, before it got dark, they built a small fire to cook the fish over, and made sure to put it out immediately after they were cooked. They sat around eating, Viper sitting a few feet away from Reborn, across from then Colonello and Lal Mirch sat together, with about half a foot between them. Lal Mirch sat with one hand behind her back, out of site, eating with the other hand. Colonello did the same, but reached over behind Lal and grasping her tiny hand in his(which, being an infant, was also tiny). Lal turned her head away from him, hiding how she was blushing. At this, Colonello removed his hand and instead put his arm around her.

" You can be pretty shy for a tomboy," he teased.

She pushed him off, and left him on his side in the dirt," You're pretty weak for one of my trainees."

Dazed, he sat back up again," Maybe the student just doesn't want the master to catch on..."

" Catch on to what?" she demanded, her hands on her hips.

" To the fact that the student has surpassed the master, hey," he grinned.

" Stop dreaming and come back to reality," she told him.

" The thing about reality is, it can be more unbelievable than fantasy," he told her.

" Okay, what have you been doing in your spare time all these years? Watching cheezy commercials aimed at over-emotional women about their relationships?"

" No, but maybe I should start, hey."

She laughed," Come on, grasshopper, the master is inviting you to sit with her. But you'd better hurry up before she changes her mind."

" Who's this master, hey?"

" Me, of course."

" Oh, then, missing that offer doesn't matter, hey."

She glared at him.

" Now _that _was actually a joke this time," he said, scooting over next to her, leaving no room between the two of them.

She blushed and moved away about a foot.

" I don't have cooties," he told her, winking.

She sighed and moved over closer to him, leaving not an inch between them. She placed one hand behind her back, and he did the same, grabbing it once more. Lal was embaressed, but it was behind their backs so Reborn and Viper couldn't see it atleast.

But they could guess.

Reborn sat closer to Viper who whispered," Not saying I like the guy, but it's nice to see him having someone to joke around with again...he's been so serious since the day we got our pacifiers..."

" Yes, I'm sure Colonello's quite happier with Lal back," Reborn agreed.

**AN: Oh my, that's probably one of the wierdest things I've ever written. _Babies making out! _My love-obsessed friend Vampire Vunny would be proud. -pokes her- You're so girly, you know that? **

**Thank you for reading, please don't flame me, I know it wasn't the best D**


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